Confusing Words of the Week

It’s time for “Confusing Words of the Week” where I take a set of two or three words that get confused and give you definitions and try to give you a memory trick to help you remember when to use which word. If you have words that confuse you, use the Ask PTB tab on the website or send an email to proofthatblog@gmail.com and they may appear here soon!

This week’s words are:

hail – precipitation in the form of small balls or lumps usually consisting of concentric layers of clear ice and compact snow; something that gives the effect of a shower of hail

The man fell from a hail of rifle fire.

hale – free from defect, disease, or infirmity; to compel to go

Her grandmother was hale and hearty for 90 years old.

She was haled into court when she ignored her jury summons.

Memory Tips:

hail – ice falling from the sky or something like ice falling.

hale – contains most of the letters in health and most of the letters in haul (as in compelling to go).